


The Kagema's Lover

by junko



Series: Written in the Scars (of Our Hearts) [28]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-07
Updated: 2013-10-07
Packaged: 2017-12-28 18:39:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/995211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Byakuya's spy gives him a lot to think about, so he decides a visit to Renji's brother is in order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Kagema's Lover

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks go to Josey (cestus) for her usual help and cheerleading and to Vorvayne for being anxious to read what came next.

The kagema, Daisuke, stayed in Byakuya’s office for a half-hour, during which time Byakuya attempted to get as much information from him as possible. The physical description Daisuke gave of his lover would have been helpful if Renji were here. It irritated Byakuya that he had no idea if the man Daisuke described was ever in service in the Sixth. But, Byakuya took copious notes. He would write to Renji. In the meantime, he’d ask around the Division.

It was disappointing, if not unexpected, but the bandit had let nothing else slip in terms of details of the possible raid. At least Byakuya knew it was likely a tea shipment. Surely, with Eishirō’s help, Byakuya should be able to pinpoint a possible caravan and route. Tea was a rare item; the household didn’t order it often. He would also send a hell butterfly ahead and make sure the Kuchiki retainers were on the lookout for an ambush.

Still, it would be difficult to know where and when or how the bandits might strike. Byakuya had a thought as to who might understand the workings of such things intimately, however….

Finally, it seemed no more information could be gleaned from Daisuke. All the tea had been drunk and the confections eaten. Byakuya stood; Daisuke remained kneeling. 

“You’ve been extremely diligent,” Byakuya said. “Can I arrange for transport back to the Rukongai for you and your bodyguards?”

“Oh, that’s very generous, my lord, but it won’t be necessary. I have another engagement inside the Seireitei.”

Really? Byakuya tried to hide his surprise.

Daisuke glanced up, gracing Byakuya with a twinkling, mischievous grin, which had, no doubt, stolen many a heart. “I’m not entirely without discretion, my lord. Besides, if my lover heard that I’d come directly to you after seeing him, our spy game would be over and an assassin would find a way to slit my throat. I’ve covered this trip with a visit to another captain, one that had been planned months ago. I’m only sorry to have had to approach your front gate. Rumors may spread.”

“I’ll do what I can to mitigate them,” Byakuya said, even though his mind spun with thoughts of who the other captain might be. He desperately wanted to ask, but he knew a good kagema would never answer.

Daisuke bowed his head gratefully. 

It took Byakuya a moment to realize he needed to say, “You’re free to go.”

Daisuke managed to bow his way out the door without ever standing in front of Byakuya. Clearly, the boy was very well trained, indeed.

#

Byakuya headed for the lieutenant’s office. The lieutenant’s office was a large, freestanding building located conveniently in the center of the Division. It was nearly always bustling with officers coming and going--checking duty rosters, receiving orders, and assignments for patrol. 

This afternoon was no exception. Shift-change was underway, so there was a queue of officers at the door, as well as several who stood talking among themselves, making plans for off-duty hours. They instantly hushed and jumped to attention when they saw Byakuya approach, respectfully bowing as he swept past them. 

He found the person he was looking for sitting behind Renji’s desk with her nose buried a pile of regulation manuals. Byakuya had intended to give the Fourth Seat some grief over the state of the paperwork, but his heart softened to see her like this. 

Renji had been the same during his first days on the job, though Renji had come with a surprising amount of skills, considering—plus, he’d had the Third Seat to help teach him the ropes. Byakuya frowned over at the empty desk that had once belonged to the Third.

The Fourth Seat—Nana-something, damn it, what was the woman’s name? Ah, Nanako Imai, that was it!—noticed the hushing of the room and, seeing Byakuya in the doorway, leaped to her feet. She bowed smartly and all but shouted, “Taicho!”

“At ease,” Byakuya said. “I need you to take look at this description and tell me if you know of any soldier from our division listed as missing in action during the ryoka invasion who may fit it.” She took the paper he offered and started scanning it. Byakuya continued, “Then, I need you to make an appointment for me with Captain Kurotsuchi.” 

The Fourth Seat looked up from the parchment she’d been reading, clearly nervous about having to deal with the Twelfth Division.

“Tell their lieutenant that you’re our acting-lieutenant in Renji’s absence,” Byakuya suggested. “I’ve found Lieutenant Kurotsuchi to be reasonable in such matters. However, I suspect Mayuri will attempt to put me off, regardless. You must insist it’s of interest to their soul research division. Also, I have reason to believe that their records may have been compromised. I have no doubt that when Mayuri hears of that, he will agree to see me. I will go to them, if necessary, but I would like it to be at a time of my choosing. If they won’t agree to that, they may come to me at their earliest convenience.”

“Hai, Taicho,” Nanako said, her fingers gripping the parchment. “If they agree to your first request, when would you like the appointment?”

“Today, if at all possible--early evening,” Byakuya said. “I’ll be away from the office the rest of the afternoon. I’m going to the Second to visit one of their prisoners.”

#

Soi Fon sat behind her desk. Her fingers made a pointed steeple that she tapped against thin lips. Byakuya sat seiza across from her. Ōmaeda hovered curiously just beyond the archway that was the entrance into the expansive captain’s office.

Noticing Ōmaeda comical attempt at stealth behind one of the pillars, she shouted, “Go fetch an escort for Captain Kuchiki, you worthless dolt!”

Ōmaeda jumped out from hiding to shout back, “Hai, Taicho!”

“Now then,” Soi Fon said returning her attention to Byakuya, “I agree. You should interrogate Abarai immediately. It would make sense that the raids are connected. If for no other reasons, they both seem to be motivated by a desire to cause trouble for you, Captain Kuchiki.”

Byakuya nodded. He had to hide his surprise. He didn’t think Soi Fon would allow him to access Seichi—at least, not without a fight or some other demand.

She continued to watch Byakuya with her narrow, focused gaze. Finally, she said, “If Abarai proves useful, will you allow the Second to join in any operation you plan to apprehend the bandits?”

Ah, here it was: the condition. However, Byakuya could understand why she would ask. It would be embarrassing to have another division catch a criminal who was potentially linked to an active case the Second was investigating. 

Though, ‘active’ was hardly the word Byakuya would use. He’d heard very little about what had been done in Seichi’s case, beyond attempting to starve him to death. 

However, it seemed foolish to turn down aid from the stealth corps. They had a lot of people at their disposal, and their skills could be useful in the Rukongai.

“Perhaps,” he said. “We must first discover if Seichi has anything to say.”

She seemed to consider this good enough. With a curt nod, she rose to her feet. Byakuya was swift enough that they arrived at a standing position at the same time. She appeared to have noticed his little burst of shunpō and gave his a slight wry smile, as though in a kind of acknowledgment—or, perhaps, mockery. It was difficult to tell with Soi Fon.

#

The Second Division was purposely disorienting. The twisty, maze-like hallways intentionally tricked the eye to make escape impossible. Byakuya’s training wouldn’t allow him not to attempt to memorize a route out, however, so by the time they reached Seichi’s new holding cell, Byakuya had the beginnings of a headache.

Byakuya’s escort was from the Kidō Corps. As was typical of their ranks, her identity was concealed by a white headdress and a partial mask that covered the lower half of her face. 

She stopped when they came to what looked like a solid stone wall. Much of the Second Division’s massive building was made of atypical materials. There were no rice paper walls or sliding fusama panels. This was no different. The blank wall they stood in front of could have been marble or white jade and it looked utterly impassable and impenetrable. 

The woman began to weave a complex kidō spell. Byakuya heard the words she uttered, but their meaning was far beyond him. At various intervals, she touched the wall with the tips of her fingertips. A glowing pattern began to emerge. It grew and shifted before his eyes, melting deeper into the wall. 

Quite suddenly, a door appeared.

She glanced at Byakuya, as though to tell him he could proceed. He was a little hesitant to touch the door, but she nodded encouragingly. It slid aside easily. The entrance was small enough that he had to duck his head to pass through.

On the other side was a large, circular room, illuminated by the bright sunlight that streamed in from a sky light far above. Once he’d stepped all the way through, the door melted away behind him. A woman’s voice seemed to come from everywhere at once and she said, “When you wish to leave, identify yourself and state your desire. I will open it again.”

Byakuya glanced around the room. There was no furniture to speak of, just a central circle of what appeared to be softer material. Around that circle were a series of consecutive steps. Sitting on one of these was Seichi, who, it seemed, had been in the middle of lunch. 

Byakuya’s entrance had triggered a rikujōkōrō, the six rod prison of light and Seichi was immobilized with his hand part way to his mouth. On the chopsticks in his fingers dripped soba noodles, and he strained to reach them with lips and tongue. In his other hand, just below the dangling noodles, he held the bowl.

As if suddenly realizing he was be-spelled, Seichi looked around. When his eyes lit on Byakuya, he swore. “The fuck? You! Couldn’t you have waited until after lunch?”

A modified rikujōkōrō, then, since Seichi could still speak; Byakuya wasn’t sure he wanted to know for what reason the Kidō Corp or Punishment Squad had invented that.

The spell also explained why no one had asked Byakuya to relinquish Senbonzakura. 

“My apologies for the interruption,” Byakuya said.

It still troubled Byakuya to see the black ink tattoos on Seichi’s forehead that made the characters ‘Stray Dog.’ 

Even though he knew better, Byakuya expected Seichi to look more like Renji. Besides the tattoo, he couldn’t resemble him less--so much smaller and slighter, with a completely different build and far paler skin. 

Just as before, Seichi’s hair hung in lumpy blond dreads, but he seemed much cleaner than the last time Byakuya had seen him. He wore an undecorated, dark brown yukata. No obi held the garment closed. Instead, it was fastened shut only with ties. His feet were bare, but they seemed washed. 

A serving tray sat on the step beside Seichi. It seemed decently enough stocked. There was a steaming serving bowl full of noodles, mushrooms, cabbage, and—from the smell—possibly a fish of some kind. A jug of water was also provided. 

Byakuya might have thought the timing of this scene a bit suspicious, but he’d arrived at the Second unannounced. Plus, Byakuya suspected Seichi would be complaining much louder about an interrupted meal, if it was the first he’d had in some time.

“What do you want?” Seichi demanded. “Where’s Renji?”

“Your brother is still on assignment,” Byakuya said. “I want to know if you were involved with any raids on Kuchiki supply trains, and, if you were, how many details of their planning and execution you remembered.”

Seichi’s face screwed up into an unpleasant expression. “Uh, that seems--what do they call it?--‘incriminating.’ So, no, I don’t know jack about anything like that.”

Byakuya let out a breath of frustration. Clearly, Seichi knew plenty about such things and was just being obstinate. Fortunately, Byakuya had predicted this response. “If you assist me in this matter, it will reflect well on your character. It is… _possible_ I may be able to arrange a shortening of your sentence, or perhaps, if you are significantly helpful, you might be remanded into my custody.”

Seichi squinted at Byakuya. Possibly the look was meant to be thoughtful or intimidating, but it was made foolish by the fact that Seichi was stuck in a position with food half-way to his mouth. “You’re sayin’, if I help you, you’ll get me out of here?”

Byakuya hated repeating himself, but he did, anyway, and this time with smaller words: “I’m saying if you prove especially useful, there is a possibility that you might not have to stay in prison for so long… or that I may be able to take responsibility for you.”

“‘Responsibility’ for me?” Seichi repeated suspiciously. “That sounds like I’m just trading one jailor for another.”

“Just so,” Byakuya said dryly. With a meaningful glance around the blank, white room, he added, “However, it would be a change in scenery.”

Seichi made a little agreeing snort. “Yeah, I guess it would. So… when you say ‘especially useful’ what’s that mean? The goons here already took what they needed out of my hide. I don’t got much useful left.”

Byakuya nodded in understanding. “This isn’t about the attack on the Sixth Division’s patrol. There is a possible raid on one of my supply trains. I have no idea how or where the bandits might strike. I hoped you might.”

Seichi frowned sadly at the noodles still dangling out of reach. He shook his head as much as the spell allowed him. “Nobody talks to me much in here. Anyways, do I look like the kind of guy who has the brains for an operation like that?”

Indeed, he did not. Seichi barely looked like the type you’d hire to participate in a raid at all, even if his only job were to weld a blunt instrument. He was small and not very muscular. Yet he had been part of the attack on the Sixth, and looks could be deceiving. There must have been some reason Renji had accepted him as a brother in Inuzuri; Byakuya doubted mere charity was ever a good strategy there. “Any insight into the thought process of these people could be worthwhile.” After a moment Byakuya added, “For both of us.”

“Your promises are kind of vague, your lordship,” Seichi said with a little sneer. His lips tried for his noodles again, and he let out a frustrated sigh, “But, it turns out, I kind of hate this place. I thought I’d be cool as long as I had a roof and three squares. Not no more. These blank walls are making me crazy.”

This, Byakuya could understand. He hadn’t moved since the door had closed behind him. It seemed unseemly to pace, but also, despite the expansiveness of the space, the empty walls felt close and suffocating. It was probably the stone this place was built of, suppressing some of his reiatsu. Whatever it was, Byakuya already wanted out of this place.

“Just tell me what you want from me,” Seichi said, his voice sounding a bit defeated.

“Honestly, if the Second would allow it, I would have you join our strategy meeting.” Byakuya said. “Once we have maps and such together, I suspect your insight could be very valuable.”

“You think they’d do that? Let me out like that?” Now Seichi sounded desperate, almost afraid to be too hopeful.

“I don’t know,” Byakuya said honestly. “I will make my best case before Soi Fon.”

#

“Absolutely not!” Soi Fon glared up at Byakuya fiercely. Despite the fact she was much shorter than he was, Byakuya had to stifle the urge to back away. He stood his ground firmly and met her eye.

They were in her office again, but this time there had been no exchange of pleasantries, and Soi Fon behaved much more as expected. 

“Tell me why not,” Byakuya insisted. “Seichi Abarai is not worthy of such intense security. He may have had a few bursts of reiatsu, but he is no match for a trained shinigami of even the lowest level. You insult me to assume I would be unable to defend myself or my household from such a lowly creature.”

She laughed, though it was a cold, mocking sound. “It’s not him I worry about, fool! It’s kidnappers who would hold him for ransom.”

“Even if kidnappers somehow evaded my heavily guarded estate and division, I would never pay.” Byakuya said flatly.

“Are you telling me you’d let kidnappers torture or kill Abarai?” Soi Fon asked. She’d turned, as though to walk away, but then spun quickly on her heels. Her braids swung in the air, as she said, “He’s your lover’s brother.”

Oh, how Byakuya’s hand itched to swat this annoying wasp. Instead, he remained composed and said calmly, “Indeed, he is. But, I didn’t hesitate to strike Renji down when he disobeyed my orders and the law. What makes you think I would show mercy on his brother?”

Soi Fon seemed a little taken aback. “You and Renji were lovers… then?”

“We were.”

“You’re a cold bastard, I’ll give you that, Captain Kuchiki,” Soi Fon said with a wry smile, as if she were suddenly much more impressed. “But, you’ve been nagging me about this Abarai since the moment he was handed over to the Second.”

“Untrue,” Byakuya said. “You’ve attempted to manipulate both Renji and myself from the start. I’ve only interfered when it seemed justice was not being served.”

Soi Fon’s lips pursed. She seemed to fume about that for a moment, before saying, “But, you’re the one paying room and board for Abarai now.”

“I am, in Renji’s absence.” Saying that, made Byakuya think of another point that might convince Soi Fon of his ruthlessness in this matter. “If your only concern is kidnappers, you should consider the fact that Renji is away at the moment. It will be far easier for me to deny any ransom while he’s gone.”

Soi Fon’s anger seemed to turn in on itself and become calculating. Her posture became thoughtful, and she glanced at Byakuya from time to time as she considered something. After several moments, she nodded. “Your lieutenant is the hotheaded one, isn’t he?”

The question confused Byakuya, but he nodded.

“Everything might well be easier while your lover is away,” she said cryptically. Before Byakuya could ask what she meant by that, Soi Fon turned and walked away. Over her shoulder she said, “Abarai is yours. Do whatever you like with him.”


End file.
